Skip to main content

Families Matter: Halloween Safety Tips

Halloween can be a fun and scary time for kids. Here are a few tips for keeping Halloween safe too. 1. Make sure masks and costumes don't block the vision of your child. Keep props easy to carry and avoid using any prop that has sharp points or edges to prevent injury while trick or treating. 2. Use flashlights, reflector material on the costume, or bright clothing to make sure others see your child, especially vehicles following or driving in the neighborhood. 3. Inspect all candy and treats before allowing children to eat them. Dispose of any that are not sealed properly. Fruits and homemade goodies should only be consumed from those you know, and not strangers. 4. One option to trick or treating might be a small party for your child's friends. Supervision by parents that you know, foods that you are preparing, and having the party at your house all work towards keeping your children safe while providing a fun atmosphere. Games, prizes, and a movie or bonfire make a great alternative to trick or treating for many families. 5. Making costumes from scratch can be added fun and can be done early to avoid the Halloween rush. It can be less expensive to come up with a costume from things you already own than to purchase ready made. If you don't sew, consider making a costume from cardboard or a box, painting it, and having your child wear it over sweat pants and shirt. 6. Dress for the weather. Have children wear warm clothing and sturdy shoes under their costumes to prevent illness and injury while going from house to house. October can be cool and damp so be prepared. The most important part of Halloween... Be safe and Have fun.

Popular posts from this blog

Interview Friday with J.D. Holiday

J.D. Holiday is the author and illustrator of two children’s books: Janoose the Goose, picture book and a chapter book for six to eight year olds, THE GREAT SNOWBALL ESCAPADE. A chapbook of her short stories called, Trespasses was published in 1994 and she has had short stories printed in literary magazines and numerous articles about writing and publishing published.  She is a member of both The Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators, (SCBWI) and Small Publishers of North America, (SPAN.)  J.D. Holiday lives in the Delaware Valley of Pennsylvania. VS : I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today. It is so exciting because you are my first World of Ink Tour Guest. It’s been a fun couple of days and the tour is only getting started. Okay, so I know your children are grown and out of the house, but I’m sure you’ve had to balance your writing life around them at one time or another. I know being a parent and writer can be hard and I find ...
Read more

Interview Friday with Connie Arnold

Connie Arnold is an author and poet residing in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with her husband, has two married children and three young grandsons. She is the author of three inspirational poetry books. Animal Sound Mix-up is her first published children’s book. Her writing appears in several anthologies, magazines and newsletters. VS: Connie, I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today. I know being a parent and writer can be hard. I find myself asking if I am giving my three children enough attention throughout the day. So to start my first question is . . . what is a typical writing day like for you? Connie: Since my children and grandchildren live far away, I don’t have the distraction of them needing my attention through the day, although I’d love to have much more of that! On a writing day, I usually begin first thing in the morning while I’m sitting at the dining room table with a banana and juice. That’s my most creative time. Sometimes I have ...
Read more

I'm a Guest Blogger on The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

Picking the Right Words for a Picture Book by VS Grenier First, let me say there are four types of picture books. Story Books: Most of us grew up on this traditional picture book. This type of picture book is by far the most popular and is usually fiction based. You will have a series of events with strong character development. Story books tend to have more text on each page vs. other types of picture books. Concept Books: This type of picture book helps to promote a child’s understanding. You see this type of picture book for toddlers or as a “My First” book series. These books can be fiction or nonfiction and have very few words. The illustrations tend to be the focus. Novelty Books: A great example of this type of book is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. This picture book relies on some short of gimmick to tell the book’s story. Modern Picture Books: This type of picture book is a lot like the story picture book, but uses both the illustrations and ...
Read more